Chapter 29
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 29
For dinner, they traveled by boat.
"This is the boat we’re taking."
"Oh."
Gio, a young man with a romantic streak, felt his heart flutter.
Traveling to a restaurant via a waterway…
It felt just like being in Venice.
"It’s a unique sight, having roads and waterways side by side," Gio commented.
"Is it? I heard that before the Great Catastrophe, South Korea barely had any waterways."
"Why were they built?"
Step.
Gio asked the question as he followed Yoo Seong-un onto the water taxi.
"To build a waterway, you’d need a massive amount of water."
"Actually, it’s the opposite," Yoo Seong-un corrected him. "They didn’t draw water in to make the waterways; there was just so much water that they had to build them to control it."
"Was there really that much water?"
"The sea level is quite high compared to the elevation of our land."
To think they couldn’t survive without building waterways. Just how far would this Hell Korea go?
Yoo Seong-un continued his explanation. "Most of those areas are still unexplored by humans, but countless dungeons formed in the ocean, and countless monsters poured out of them. There’s a theory that the water level rose simply because the physical volume of things inside the sea increased."
"It would take more than just one or two monsters to cause that."
Just how many, and how massive, were the monsters that had settled on Earth for the country to be unable to cope without building waterways?
Sensing Gio’s unspoken question, Yoo Seong-un elaborated.
"There are plenty of aquatic monsters that easily dwarf an entire building."
"I see."
"Since there are multiple species and countless numbers of those monsters, the sea level naturally rose. I heard that seawater didn’t use to flood the country like this before the Great Catastrophe..."
"How do the provinces manage the rising seawater?"
"I believe they’ve dug waterways to the extent that it doesn’t severely impact farming or daily life. They created various paths to prevent the seawater’s salinity from seeping into the soil, but since they don’t have as much capital as the cities… they probably can’t farm near the waterways."
"..."
"So, in areas where seawater floods excessively, they’ve switched entirely to fishing instead of farming. Fish from some of the more famous regions are even imported into the cities."
Despite the circumstances, it seemed everyone had found a way to survive.
Human adaptability is truly mind-blowing.
Still, Gio was intimidated.
I should just stay cooped up in my portrait.
Earth had become a world where it was hard to survive on romance, passion, and hope alone. You needed actual physical power.
How strong did one have to be just to pay rent on time and survive in such a harsh world? It was a level of strength Gio couldn’t even dream of achieving.
"I think you mentioned the restaurant itself floats on the water."
"Well, rather than floating, it’s more like a restaurant built on a small island."
"I heard it’s located in the middle of the Han River," Gio said as he settled into his seat. "Was there originally an island there?"
Even thirty-one years ago, he knew there were small islands like Nodeulseom. But Yoo Seong-un had said the restaurant stood all by itself, which made him curious about how such a location came to be.
Yoo Seong-un answered without difficulty. "That’s because it’s the site of a former Fixed Dungeon."
"...A Fixed Dungeon?"
"...Ah. Do you not know much about dungeons?"
Seeing Yoo Seong-un’s flustered expression, Gio realized the man had clearly assumed he would know. Unfortunately, reality was different. In the blink of an eye, Gio had become an ancestor from thirty-one years ago, left behind by the changing times.
How did I, who used to instill social skills into the budding youth of South Korea, end up like this?
Kids, your teacher misses you.
Fortunately, Yoo Seong-un quickly regained his usual placid expression and began to explain.
"Dungeons are generally divided into Fixed and Mobile types. Just as the names suggest, one is fixed in a single spot, while the other moves around according to its own set of rules. In the case of Fixed Dungeons, they sometimes create terrain that didn’t originally exist."
"Then is the restaurant we’re heading to built on terrain created like that?"
"Yes. That’s actually the restaurant’s theme. The dungeon that used to be here was related to cooking. It was an unusual case—it was cleared because the dungeon master was moved by the food of an ordinary chef who had been dragged in by accident, even though he wasn’t a Hunter."
"Ah."
The backstory was surprisingly touching.
"A grand restaurant was left behind at the cleared site, and the chef who participated in the raid took it over and has been running it ever since. He’s ninety-two years old, but he’s still active in the kitchen."
"Ninety-two?"
"Sounds like a long life for a human, right?" Yoo Seong-un chuckled. "He awakened as a chef after clearing the dungeon, so he’s less affected by aging. He probably has support from skills and items, too. If you saw him in person, you’d think he was in his fifties."
"..."
"He often participates in national-level raids to handle the team’s meals, which means his basic combat skills aren’t bad either. I’ve never seen it myself, but they say his main weapon is a baseball bat studded with nails."
"A baseball bat..."
"Surprising, right? I thought he’d use a kitchen knife. But in an interview, he asked how anyone could use a knife meant for cooking to slice up monsters. I guess chefs really have a different mindset."
"Oh."
Gio thought he understood that mindset, but regardless, he was intimidated. Humanity had grown strong.
"Do Awakened age slowly?"
"From what I know, most of them do. At least, if they’re a C-Rank Hunter or higher."
"Is C-Rank the dividing line for what’s considered a good Hunter?"
"That’s generally the public perception, yes."
It was a truly terrifying world.
Grandmother was absolutely right. Always live humbly and politely.
He didn’t want to be exorcised as a Haunted Portrait while perfectly alive.
Gio pondered his situation.
I need to plan my survival strategy carefully. If my portrait burns, I don’t know what will happen to my cabin, and simply behaving myself isn’t enough to prevent every disaster…
But he didn’t want to pass the human test and live on Earth again, either.
"What are you thinking about?"
"I was thinking that Earth is a scary place."
"Uh...?" Yoo Seong-un looked confused. "Why are you suddenly scared? It’s not like you’re a target for subjugation."
"That is true."
But conversely, it meant that if he ever did become a target, he could be torn limb from limb.
I like things just the way they are now.
Was there a way to maintain his status as a Haunted Portrait without being condemned or attacked by people? Gio decided to ponder this for the sake of his own comfortable survival.
"..."
But first, dinner.
"...Something smells delicious."
"You’re right, and we can’t even see the restaurant yet. Isn’t it fascinating?"
"Does this scent only come from this waterway?"
"I heard it’s a sort of promotional strategy."
"I see."
While a waterway wafting an enchanting, non-offensive scent was intriguing, what was even more fascinating was how he could distinguish the scent of the sea from the aroma of food.
…The scent of the sea in the middle of the city…
If he lowered his head slightly, he could smell only the sea. It was the sharp, brain-tingling scent of saltwater. A wave of nostalgia washed over him.
"..."
Gio leaned closer to the water’s surface.
"Gio, that looks dangerous."
"I like the scent of the sea, so I was just taking it in for a moment."
Lost in old memories, Gio’s voice grew noticeably gentler.
"It’s strange that a waterway connected to the Han River smells so strongly of the sea."
"Well, unless you’re up in the mountains, the rivers and waterways in these areas are all heavily mixed with seawater."
"Is that so?"
Giovanni had loved this scent.
The scent of the sea.
The scent of mermaids.
…Just once…
It was filled with a poignant longing, enough to make him want to plunge into those deep depths.
"Gio, stop."
"..."
"...You’re making the driver nervous."
At those words, Gio looked at the water taxi driver. The man was staring at him with a deeply flustered, slightly terrified expression.
"...Ah, I see."
Gio admitted he had been rude.
"My apologies. It’s my first time seeing a waterway like this, so curiosity got the better of me."
"It’s fine," Yoo Seong-un said gently. "I was just worried you’d get hurt, not angry."
"Thank you for understanding."
While Yoo Seong-un’s reaction was indeed 'worry,' the driver’s face looked much closer to 'terror.' Still, Gio decided to let it go. It was only natural to be scared if a passenger looked like they were about to throw themselves into the water.
Like a passenger suddenly trying to open the door and jump out on the highway…
Gio successfully rationalized it.
If it wasn’t that, I probably leaked some strange energy again.
Just like he had done unconsciously back at Yoo Seong-un’s office.
Gio sat back down quietly, reflecting on how he had caused trouble by getting distracted. Yoo Seong-un, who had been watching him observantly, hesitated for a moment before speaking cautiously.
"Do you like the sea?"
"...Pardon?"
No? Not particularly?
"I don’t care for it much."
"But earlier at Cheonggyecheon, and now here at the waterway, you seemed to particularly like the scent of the sea. I’m sorry if I was mistaken."
"There’s nothing to be sorry about. I don’t dislike the sea, but I don’t love it either..." Having said that, Gio quickly corrected himself. "...Actually, on second thought, maybe I do."
"Hmm?"
"I think of my feelings as ordinary, but I also like it."
It was a strange thing to say, but it wasn’t wrong. 'Gio' didn’t have any strong feelings about the sea, but 'Giovanni' did. So, to the question of whether he liked the sea, Gio had no choice but to answer with a "yes-and-no." Since both feelings belonged to him, it was hard to deny either one.
Then, a sudden thought occurred to him.
"Are there mermaids here too?"
"...Mermaids."
Yoo Seong-un sensed the same anomaly he had felt back at Cheonggyecheon.
He definitely said 'here too.'
Gio seemed to have some sort of connection to mermaids.
"Hmm..." After a moment of thought, Yoo Seong-un slowly nodded. "Sometimes those kinds of monsters pop up. And even if they aren’t strictly monsters... there are certain entities that take on that form."
"..."
"Since this is a world where idolatry, legends, or myths can manifest as real monsters, mermaid-related monsters do appear in various places on Earth."
"Is that so?"
"The story of the 'Mermaid Princess' by a very old author is a famous fairy tale, after all."
The Mermaid Princess.
The appearance of this familiar term plunged Gio back into thought. He was thinking about Giovanni’s request.
Come to think of it, I think there was a quest related to the Mermaid Princess.
But he decided to shelve it for now.
"It looks like we’re almost there. What a spectacular restaurant."
"Oh, indeed."
"It’s a much grander building than I imagined. I’m looking forward to it."
They say you shouldn’t worry about things at the dinner table.
* * *
The luxurious restaurant looked as if it were built from a blend of ivory and marble. While beautifully decorated like a castle, its layout was highly inefficient, with multiple rooms, staircases, and lobbies jumbled together in a way that made it clear it was not of human design.
Yet, ironically, this very eccentricity solidified the restaurant’s concept.
White, pink, light green, and sky blue. The soft pastel hues scattered like patchwork over a base of ivory made one feel lightheaded, as if stepping into a dream.
It was breathtakingly beautiful.
"There’s something I didn’t get to ask earlier..."
Yoo Seong-un, Gio, and their party had taken their seats at a cream-colored table. Once settled, Gio asked, "Didn’t you say this place was built from the remnants of a Fixed Dungeon?"
"Hmm? Yes, that’s right."
"Then do Fixed Dungeons normally leave behind terrain or buildings like this even after they’re cleared? Did that dungeon leave behind this land and restaurant?"
"Ah... Yes, exactly. It’s something like that." Deciding it would be best to clear up all of Gio’s questions before the main meal arrived, Yoo Seong-un explained with his characteristic placid smile. "Regardless of whether they’re Fixed or Mobile, there are various types of dungeons. Usually, they’re categorized into Virtual Dungeons, Villa Dungeons, and Entry Dungeons."
"There are three types?"
"Actually, there are more than that, but these three are the most representative." Yoo Seong-un folded his fingers one by one as he continued. "In the case of a Virtual Dungeon, it swallows up people who meet arbitrary conditions without any clear physical boundaries, and a game takes place in a virtual world. For example, if the condition is 'ten men in their thirties who visit a convenience store at exactly 9:00 PM,' the raid proceeds on a game board designed to look like a convenience store."
"That sounds incredibly unfair."
"Exactly. Other Hunters find this aspect highly troublesome. I mean, how many of those ten men would actually be Hunters suited for clearing a dungeon? Virtual Dungeons are quite rare, but they’re hard to detect and cause massive casualties, making them one of modern society’s biggest anxieties."
Gio thought a world where such a thing was casually referred to as a "modern anxiety" was rather horrifying. Unaware of Gio, who was internally screaming while relying on his atrophied facial muscles to maintain a blank expression, Yoo Seong-un calmly continued.
"Next is the Villa Dungeon. This is when an arbitrary terrain and set of rules suddenly manifest on Earth."
"Is that the case for this restaurant?"
"You’ve got it. This restaurant building appeared as part of a Villa Dungeon. Out of nowhere, a single restaurant popped up right in the middle of the Han River, where there used to be absolutely nothing." Yoo Seong-un rolled his eyes as if recalling the details. "From what I know, it wasn’t just a restaurant appearing on newly formed land. It’s an excessively tall—or rather, deep—restaurant with a basement that reaches all the way to the riverbed. It’s just that the only part visible above the water is the dining area, which is why it got the nickname 'the floating restaurant'..."
He nodded and continued. "In this way, a Villa Dungeon is essentially an alien dimension’s villa suddenly being erected on Earth. Since the original terrain has already been replaced, it can’t be restored. That’s why most Villa Dungeons remain physically intact even after they’re cleared, with only their rules disappearing. How to handle and utilize them is up to us Earthlings."
"..."
"The last one is the Entry Dungeon. This one is similar to a video game. Though, I do wonder what kind of games you actually know..." Yoo Seong-un said, waving his last finger. "It’s different from Virtual Dungeons, which have no physical boundaries, and Villa Dungeons, which have blurry boundaries. In this case, only an entrance portal appears, and once you step through, you can raid an alternate dimension."
"Ah..."
It certainly sounded like the dimensional portals commonly seen in games. A lone door that, once entered, transports you to a completely different map. Gio understood perfectly.
Yoo Seong-un continued in his usual placid, kind tone. "But cases like this, where the remnants of a dungeon are repurposed into a restaurant, are extremely rare."
"That’s surprising. It seems exotic and nice, so why don’t people utilize them more?"
"Humans are fearful creatures, after all."
Must you keep reminding me that I’m a Haunted Portrait?
"Problems could arise if ordinary people are let in, and there aren’t many people gutsy enough to live in and utilize dungeon remnants. Above all, the remnants themselves tend to be quite picky about people... so they’re usually demolished one way or another."
"Picky about people?"
"Like making someone feel a sudden chill if it doesn’t like them."
"It sounds like a haunted house."
So said the Haunted Portrait.
"..."
Indeed, Gio had secretly accepted his own identity.
Well, normal humans don’t build a cabin inside a portrait and live a healing life there.
Having no intention of strongly insisting on his humanity anyway, Gio offered a mild excuse.
"...I don’t give people chills."
"Right, right. Because Gio is a human. Isn’t that right?"
"Yes."
He was so grateful for being coddled like a four-year-old cousin that he could almost cry.